Ex-Jet staff member clinches Ironman title

She lost her job after Jet Airways announced closure, and after witnessing a few difficult months, turned to the internet to raise funds to fulfill her dream—that of participating in the Triathlon in Copenhagen. Bengaluru’s Blossom Fernandez, 36, raised the required amount (over Rs 2 lakh) through crowdfunding, and participated in one of toughest endurance events in the world.

Fernandez completed the race to clinch the Ironman title on August 18. She was the only Indian participant and successfully completed the race in 13 hours, 22 minutes and 50 seconds. She had to swim a distance of 3.8 km, cycle over 180 km and run for about 42.2 km.

Training to be triathlete for over two year, Fernandez decided to post her details on the online platform Crowdera after she had used up her savings in the months following the closure of the airline. “I hadn’t been paid salary since March and the last time I was on flight duty was in April. I had no income, my savings had depleted and there was no clarity whether I would get my dues. So I turned to crowdfunding to finance my dream,” she said to a news portal.

Fernandez can now connect the dots and see hope, months after losing her job. “I plan to make a foray into the sports industry and recently completed a course on sports psychology. If I hadn’t lost my steady job and income, I would never have considered pursuing my true passion,” she told the portal.